


A Fool's Game

by karina95



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-07-20 15:41:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16140338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karina95/pseuds/karina95
Summary: There were a million things that could go wrong when you started befriending the God of Mischief.In the end, all it took was one.





	1. Chapter 1

‘Stark? Stark! Tony!’ 

 

Loki had felt the exact moment the warehouse collapsed on Tony. He had felt the crushed weight of the Ironman suit on his own chest and the immediate asphyxia it caused; had felt the brief flash of the hero’s panic and the knowledge that no one would be in time to save him this time.

 

Loki had let his magic engulf him even before had had formed the conscious thought of teleporting. He had let his instincts follow the tiny trail of his magic that lingered on the man, finding him in a blink of an eye.

 

It had been a simple guarding spell, placed on a whim one night at the tower a few weeks ago. It felt right back then, but now Loki was sure it had been the will of the Norns he do so. 

 

Willing his hands to stop shaking, he kneeled over the motionless form of the half-visible suit, clawing for the emergency release flaps he was sure were hidden somewhere. Stark was anything but a stupid man. 

 

‘Jarvis? Can you hear me? Is he…’ He couldn’t make himself finish the sentence. 

 

The response he got was broken, but it was enough. ‘Sir’s vitals are stable at the moment, but he will lapse into a cardiac arrest in a few minutes if help doesn’t arrive. He has lost quite a lot of blood through a laceration on his left thigh, also there appears to be several fractured bones including three broken ribs, one of which has punctured the right lung and causing it to collapse. The left lung is ventilating normally for the moment.’

 

So he wasn’t late yet. Loki waved a hand across his face, causing a rush of breeze to clear the air of the heavy dust and started manually removing the rocks and metal pinning Iron Man to the floor. Somewhere at the other side of the rubble the cave-in continued. It would have been easier doing this by magic, but Loki needed to conserve every ounce he could as healing was extremely energy consuming. Not to mention the fact that he desperately needed to keep himself busy. 

 

‘Jarvis, I need to get the suit off.’ Keeping his voice calm and level - it helped Loki feel more in control.

 

‘There are two release flaps on each side on the lateral part of the suit’s neck, two on the sides at the level of the eighth costal and two near the hip joints.’

 

Loki made quick work of the suit, clawing off the released plates and dragging Tony away by his shoulders. He sat down at the man’s head and pulled the limp body onto his lap. Tony was barely conscious, his eyes swimming in and out of focus. Dark bruises were already forming around them. Loki looked down into his blood covered face. For a moment, their gazes locked. Loki could see the confusion and relief that followed recognizing him. Tony’s mouth tried to form some words but they never made it past his throat before he lost consciousness.

 

‘Master Loki, may I suggest that you start with stopping the bleeding before addressing Sir’s collapsed lung if you’re ab--le.’

 

Jarvis’ voice sounded increasingly distant and weak until it fell away and they were plunged into complete darkness apart from the blue fire constantly burning at the mortal’s chest. Loki guessed the suit ran out of power. All of that had happened in a matter of seconds, it couldn't have been more than two minutes since he had left his study, but to Loki it seemed like hours stretching by. 

 

He could easily have conjured up some magical fire to light the cramped cave-like opening they were in, but ultimately there was no point. What good would there be, staring at that blank face and maimed body?

 

Instead, Loki ripped open the collar of Tony’s undersuit and slipped his hands inside, cold fingers against hot skin, eyes closing in concentration. He had to admit, this wasn’t what he had imagined himself running his hands over the inventor’s chest for the first time to be like. Loki pressed his palms to either side of the reactor in the mortal’s chest, searching for the ba-dum ba-dum of a human heart. The beating under his hands was fast, fluttering and way too faint to Loki’s liking, but it was there. 

 

Loki let his magic flow through his hands and into Tony’s heart, following the bloodstream until he found the wound through which the inventor’s life essence was flowing out. Brow furrowing, he started mumbling the ancient spells, memorized by heart after hundreds of years of usage, commanding his magic to start weaving the broken tissues together, first the blood vessels, then muscle and nerves; taking as much of Tony’s pain as his own as he could without it actually breaking his concentration. 

 

After the bleeding had stopped, Loki bent down over Tony further, sliding his palms along the man’s sides, cradling the bruised ribs and struggling lungs. He willed the majority of his magic to Tony’s thorax, slowly pushing the punctured rib back closer to the skin, at the same time inflating and rebuilding the lung as he went. It hurt like a bitch, but Loki didn’t mind. He could do it. And he did. 

 

The moment Loki felt the man beneath him take in a gasp of fresh air, he sighed in relief. The most pressing matters of Tony’s body were taken care of. The matters of his mind, however… 

 

Placing his palms at the mortal’s temples, he called every speck of his magic, busy all over Tony’s body in helping itself heal, back to his fingers, taking a deep breath. Healing the flesh and bones was a crude job that didn’t demand much finesse. The healers of the mind, however, had to master precision most particular. Loki avoided meddling with another’s mind whenever possible - it was like navigating a minefield - but in Tony’s case, that wasn’t really an option. Tony’s brilliant mind was who he was, the reason why Loki liked spending time with the man. So he dove in.

 

Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as he had feared it to be. The engineer had suffered some injury, a concussion as the mortals called it, but probably nothing crippling. Still, Loki didn’t want to leave anything to chance, treading carefully through the incredible maze, losing himself in it, picking up and connecting any lost threads he came across. 

 

Finally he was pleased with the result, extracting himself slowly but surely from Tony. Coming back to his senses, he felt rather than heard people forcing their way through the rubble into the building. Tony’s rescue party, then. SHIELD, most likely. Incompetent fools. Tony would have been long dead before they even had the thought of doing anything about it.

 

Loki briefly considered staying with the inventor for a little time longer, his head cradled in Loki’s lap, but he decided against it. Now was not the time for useless sentiment. 

 

He got slowly up and kicked the dust around with his boot to erase any signs of him ever being there. The hero lying on the ground was still unconscious and would remain so for the next couple of hours, giving his mind time to expand back; to recover from the intrusion of another. 

 

‘Today, you were extremely lucky.’

 

For a moment he touched his index and middle finger between Tony’s brows before he was gone in a flash of green flames and magic.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Loki appeared back in his living room, collapsing in one of the armchairs. He kicked off his boots and rolled his eyes at the trail of dust they left behind.

 

‘Oh, just great.’

 

Now he had to clean the carpet. Again. But that could wait until tomorrow. Today, he was tired to the bone. His reserves of magic nearly depleted but rapidly recharging made him feel dizzy and warm all over. Loki reached for one of his books on the table, but after brief consideration placed it back down on the armrest. Maybe later.

 

Letting his head drop against the backrest, Loki closed his eyes and wondered how things had got this far. To him running off to rescue the Man of Iron - and in such recklessness! 

 

Loki remembered the first memorable fight he had with the Avengers. There had been fights before of course, and after, but this one was the first he had noticed Stark as something more than an insignificant pest flying around in a tin can. 

 

He had been binge watching some of the older Midgardian movies from some idiot journalists’ list of “Top 100 movies you need to see before you die”. Loki hardly thought his eventual death would have any deeper meaning now thanks to any of those, but perhaps it was some sort of weird Midgardian belief. At least he got some good ideas from a few. 

 

Loki remembered standing on top of a “skyscraper” (which in his opinion sounded ridiculous - scraping the sky? They were small enough to jump over!), laughing in malevolent glee as the mortals scurried about in their mindless panic below, screaming at his 200 feet Nisse awkwardly making its way towards downtown. He had given the creature a small make-over regarding a sailor’s hat and a matching collar, but apart from that it looked quite like a Midgardian garden gnome. Also positively harmless, to be honest. Which he rarely was. Loki had just needed some entertainment.  _ Quality _ entertainment. 

 

The Avengers were down on the street, trying to evacuate the people and take down Loki’s creation. At least the ones that had actually bothered turning up. He didn’t care. Loki wasn’t here to get attention, the little band of misfits probably didn’t even know it was him behind the mischief. Only a shame nobody else was there to appreciate his subtle references with him.

 

‘Figured it was you behind all this, Zuul.’

 

He may stand corrected.

 

‘Well, well. If it isn’t the  _ Aluminium Man _ .’

 

‘Did you just…? I swear to god, if you’re going to start throwing around words like ‘rust’ Im gonna lose it.’

 

Loki had no idea what the mortal was going on about. Later he figured it was often like this with Stark - one moment you could keep up with his crazy blabbering and references, the next you were left disoriented standing in your own shoes. The mage frowned and turned around, expecting to see the red-and-gold suit he had known to associate with the voice speaking to him even more so than the crazy inventor himself. The one that had long ago offered some twisted part of Loki a drink. 

 

‘I have no use of your promises.’

 

He did find the metal suit standing behind him, but Stark’s faceplate was up, his stance near casual. You could almost believe he wasn’t here to fight at all. Reminded Loki of the last time the man had tried such a tactic. His face as he flew through that window was priceless. It never failed to make Loki smile.

 

‘Something funny, Copperfield?’

 

‘I  _ was _ having a good time. Until you showed up, at least.’

 

‘Aw, babe, don’t be like that. You know you’re my special gal!’

 

Ugh. Why did the man insist on talking so much nonsense all the time? It made Loki’s head hurt. Well, okay, it didn’t. He might have been the god of lies, but he didn’t make a habit of lying to himself. It was kind of fun, he guessed. At least a lot better than listening to the patronizing nonsense of Captain America or the whining of  _ Thor _ .

 

‘Are you here to talk or fight, Stark? Or did you come just to gawk at my magnificent self?’

 

‘Stark? Ouch. Umm, I think I’ll go with D and all of the above.’ 

 

With that his faceplate snapped shut and the suit took flight. Loki followed. This was even better than looking at the mindless ants in the distance.

 

‘You know, I kind of get the whole elf-on-the-shelf business since, you know, Christmas and everything,‘ - Loki fired a half-hearted ball of green fire- ‘but the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man getup? Has someone been bored?’ 

 

Iron Man shot in back in kind. The blast of energy was so off mark Loki didn’t even bother blocking it.

 

‘Troubled by  strange noises in the middle of the night? Feelings of dread in your basement or attic?’

 

‘What do you suggest I do? Pick up the phone and call the  _ professionals _ ?’ Loki grinned. He knew Stark was doing the same behind his helmet. Oh, this was  _ so  _ much more fun.

 

‘Or, you know, you could always drop in. My courteous and efficient staff is on call 24 hours a day to serve all your supernatural... needs.’ 

 

It was another question entirely why Stark was so good at quoting Ghostbusters. Loki moved a little to the left, feeling the whish of an arrow on his temple.

 

‘You do still owe me that drink, if I remember correctly.’

 

‘You’ve got my address. Don’t bother knocking.’

 

With that, Loki teleported away, taking the Nizze with him. It wasn’t for several months until he took Stark up on his offer.


	2. Chapter 2

‘Tell me, Stark, why is it lately that every time some building collapses or civilian property gets damaged, you’re usually to blame?’

 

Fury was having a fit again and Tony was already sick of it. Part of the team had just got back from a small island near the Canadian border where dr. Doom had been testing out his new bots of something or other. Doom’s name generating skills had always been below average. Tony hated debriefs. He needed a shower.

 

‘Well, let me think. Maybe because I’m the one with the most firepower since Thor’s off rolling in the hay with his science-lady? Hey, no offence to Birdman or Capcicle, but blowing stuff up ten at a time seems to me a little more efficient than engaging in a fist fight with each of them, don’t you think?’

 

He pointedly ignored Clint staring at him and cleaning his nails with one of his arrows. Tony knew this was going to bite him in the ass later. But he was so sick of Fury and his one-eyed stare with the debriefs every single time he even dared take a glance at his suit. So what if he had been acting out a little? Sure being a hero was awesome and all, but SHIELD was  _ killing _ his social life. He was down to flirting in coffee shops and fundraisers, for fucks sake!

 

‘Don’t be a smartass, Stark! You’re there to minimize the risks, not create them!’

 

‘Then next time go and minimize it yourself. Whatever. I’m out of here, surely the Captain can fill any remaining blanks your surveillance missed.’

 

A nice iced whiskey and a cigar ought to fix his mood back up.

 

‘Hey Jarvis, where are we with the--  _ holy sweet baby Jesus on roller skates _ !’ He grabbed his chest with his free hand and froze instinctively. ‘When were you going to tell me we had a visitor, J?’

 

‘My sensors are currently unable to identify any other lifeforms in the penthouse besides yours, Sir.’

 

But Tony was definitely not imagining the dark-haired figure leaning against the railing of the balcony, face turned towards the skyline.Combined with that ridiculous height and leather getup, there was no doubt in who it could be. Definitely.

 

‘Loki,’ he mumbled.

 

‘Shall I alert the other Avengers?’

 

‘No, just… wait for my signal.’ He must be out of his fucking mind. ‘And ready the suit.’

 

He took a few deep breaths and stepped out onto the balcony, letting the door fall quietly closed behind him. He made his mouth say something before his brain could catch up with what he was actually doing.

 

‘I know I told you not to bother knocking, but at least  _ some _ warning would be nice. Like, you know, a bat maybe or one of those creepy fogged-up mirror messages or whatever you crazy gods use nowadays. Not that I think you’re crazy, don’t take this the wrong way-- I know it might be hard to believe, but I’m not as fresh off the press as I might look. Not sure the old ticker here can take that much excitement of you popping up and giving me the spook.’ 

 

Rambling.

 

Loki just stood there, hands crossed on top of the railing, staring in the distance. He gave no indication of having heard Tony and for a second the mortal suspected he was imagining everything. 

 

‘Then perhaps you have chosen the wrong profession?’

 

Tony dared taking a few steps closer, but still keeping a safe-ish distance. The lack of eye contact bothered him somehow. He had no idea why Loki was here.

 

‘I guess I could argue that the profession chose me, instead.’

 

Another few steps closer. He could now see most of Loki’s profile. But still not his eyes.

 

‘Am I right to assume you have not yet summoned your merry band of heroes?’

 

‘I kind of get the feeling like I should say you’re wrong, but no. I haven’t. Yet.’

 

Loki finally turned to look at Tony. He had a small smile on his lips, but it seemed forced. The lines around his mouth and eyes ran a little deeper than Tony had seen him last and the green eyes looked tired.

 

‘And may I acquire as to why?’

 

‘I guess the same reason you came here. Curiosity.’

 

Loki’s smile fell away and he turned back towards the city, giving a curt nod. Tony leaned his back against the railing as well. Keeping a respectful distance between them, but feeling a little easier all the same. 

 

‘Curiosity killed the cat Stark, haven’t you heard?’

 

‘Is  _ that  _ why you’re here?’

 

‘No.’

 

Tony uttered a laugh. ‘Well that’s good. I feel safer already. Drink?’

 

Loki took the offered glass and knocked it back in one go. Not even tasting it, Tony thought it a crime against the whisky gods, if there indeed were such. Lucky he wasn’t that suicidal yet to actually voice his thoughts. 

 

‘Another?’

 

‘Yes.’

 

‘Alright then.’

 

When Tony returned with another glass and two bottles of whiskey, he thought the balcony empty and Loki gone at first. On second glance he found the god, sitting a little out of the wind on a lounger, pulled out from who knows where. They definitely weren’t Tony’s.

 

There was another one next to Loki. How considerate. Tony took a seat and topped up Loki’s glass before filling his own.

 

‘Rough day?’ As it seemed no answer was forthcoming, Tony continued ‘Yeah, I know about those.’

 

They drank in silence for a while, Tony topping the glasses from time to time, giving Loki the lion’s share of the amber liquid. It was comfortable. Tony found himself surprised at the thought, but Loki was good drinking company. At least while they both kept their mouths mostly shut. Just sitting there, watching as the sun set. Tony didn’t exactly feel safe around Loki, but he didn’t feel  _ not safe _ either.

 

‘It’s good.’

 

It startled Tony out of his own thoughts. He risked a glance at Loki, who had his head leaned back and eyes closed, basking in the last rays of April sun. The god’s face looked relaxed and younger, somehow. A trick of the light, most probably.

 

‘You get what you pay for.’

 

Another minute of silence followed, but the few words shared had made Tony bolder.

 

‘So tell me, how is it that you spend your time when your not currently engaged with the whole supervillain-gig?’

 

‘You think me a supervillain?’ 

 

It gave Tony a slight pause. ‘Well, no, not exactly. I mean, if Doom suddenly showed up at my penthouse, trust me, I wouldn’t give him the benefit of a doubt. I’d kick his sorry ass right back to whatever cave he crawled out of.’

 

‘A benefit of a doubt? Is that what this is?’

 

Tony growled in frustration. ‘No! Stop turning everything I say around! That’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m sorry not everyone has such an amazing silver tongue such as yours.’

 

At that, Loki opened his eyes and gave Tony an almost incredulous look, twisting his lips into a small smile.

 

‘Yes, I’ve brushed up on my Norse mythology. By the way, is it true that you gave birth to a eight-legged horse? How does that even work?’ 

 

He couldn’t stop himself. He had been wondering about it ever since he read it and now it slipped out on it’s own. In any other day he would have probably been thrown over the edge for such questions, but the nearing nightfall and the easy drinking made everything seem smoother. Even Tony.

 

Loki only scoffed. ‘It is true I have fathered three children. But I’m fairly certain none of them is a horse.’

 

Tony looked at Loki again, finding a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. He couldn’t help but laugh. All of it just seemed so absurd. It seemed as if his laughing was contagious cause Loki soon joined in, both of them sitting on the penthouse’s balcony, giggling like a couple of lunatics, fueling each other on. 

 

Finally, the laughter died. The sun had set.

 

‘I must leave now. Thank you for the drink, Stark. And the company.’

 

‘Wait!’ Tony wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted to say but he knew he needed to say it fast. ‘It was fun.’

 

Loki stopped and turned to him, raising an eyebrow. ‘Yes.’

 

‘So… will you come again?’ Oh, he felt like a clingy old maid, trying to hold on to the hot one-night-stand she had picked up from the bar thanks to pure luck and bad lighting. The answer surprised him, even though it wasn’t exactly what the had hoped for.

 

‘Perhaps.’

 

Tony watched in amazement as green light engulfed the mage and he simply vanished, leaving him sitting alone with a empty glass of whiskey and the newly acquired, probably extraterrestrial loungers.

 

* * *

 

 

The second time Loki showed up, Tony was thankfully spared the heart attack. He had just stepped out of the shower when his eye caught something written on the fogged-up bathroom mirror.

 

‘BRING GIN’, it read. And then, a little further down in smaller letters ‘and fruit’, added like an afterthought. Tony found it quite amusing.

 

‘Jarvis, is Loki here by any chance?’

 

‘No, sir. I cannot detect any lifeforms in the penthouse besides yours.’

 

And yet Tony had no doubt that when he walked out onto the balcony, he would find the man in question there, waiting impatiently for his gin and fruit. 

 

‘Lock down the top floor, J. No one gets up, not even Pepper. Especially not Pepper.’

 

‘Are you sure that’s wise, sir?’

 

Tony threw on some random clothes and headed for his private stash of bottles. He had a feeling that only the best would do. And with Loki, if you didn’t bring your A-game, you could soon be sorry. Very, very sorry. 

 

‘Fine, keep the Avengers on speed dial, then. Just in case. And the suit.’ But he had a feeling he was going to be just fine. When he’d find some grapes from the fridge, that is.

 

Loki had already resumed his place on the right side lounger, tapping his boots against each other and twirling a knife between his fingers. He had skipped the full body armour, instead going a little more casual with a dark green tunic and leather riding pants. The man’s dark hair was slightly moving with the breeze. Tony thought he had an aura of someone being on vacation. Which, based on the latest lack of Loki-related activity, he just might be.

 

‘Long time no see. I was starting to wonder whether you hadn’t quit Earth alltogether.’

 

The moment Tony stepped through the door, Loki banished the knife and interlaced his fingers, making him look totally innocent and harmless. It would have worked as well, hadn’t Tony known he was anything but.

 

‘You might find it difficult to believe but my life does not exclusively consist of arranging field trips to you and your company.’

 

Tony handed Loki the bowl of fruit and took the seat next to him, popping open the bottle of gin.

 

‘Oh yeah? So what  _ do _ you do while you’re not currently giving us a run for our money? You still didn’t tell me last time.’

 

‘If I didn’t tell you then, what makes you think I will tell you now?’

 

‘Cause we’re so much better friends now? Come on, I’m dying with curiosity here.’

 

‘What do  _ you  _ do when you’re not out there chasing villains like me?’

 

Oh, it was impossible getting a straight answer from this guy.

 

‘Well, I guess mostly I just work on my projects, tinkering with my suits and such. And parties, can’t forget those.’

 

Loki nodded. ‘That sounds about right.’

 

‘You party?’

 

Tony found the notion odd at first, but looking at Loki now, he could see him standing in a circle of people, telling them all one of his expertly spun tales or moving gracefully about in a reception hall full of people, wearing that black suit and holding a glass of champagne. Yeah, he guessed it made sense.

 

Loki snorted and rolled his eyes. ‘Yes. Occasionally, when it’s impossible to turn down the invitation. But that is not the point. You work on perfecting your craft, I focus on perfecting mine. Magic is a part of me, it is who I am. My magic cannot exist without me as much as I am nothing without my magic. And while you do most of your research and inventing here, it is required for me to spend a lot of my time traveling, chasing books and scholars.’

 

Wow, Tony hadn’t expected to get such a full answer. It actually made them both sound like huge nerds.

 

‘And partying, right?’

 

That got a laugh out of Loki. It was an unexpected sound, much more clear and sane than Tony had heard out during battles sometimes. Loki seemed so relaxed and serene, it reminded Tony again of someone enjoying a vacation. 

 

‘Yes, Stark. And partying.’

 

‘Hey, outside business hours I’m just Tony.’

 

Loki took a gulp of his gin. ‘Stark.’ Tony seemed to him a little too familiar. The man in question decided to let it slip. This time.

 

‘So are we talking hardcore club partying or more like boring fundraiser partying?’

 

‘More like banquet kind of partying. Still boring, mostly.’

 

‘There is no way you’re going to convince me that a dinner party with aliens is boring.’

 

To that, Loki said nothing. He just smiled a little and took another sip of his drink. It seemed he had a lot bigger tase for gin than Tony had. He would have never guessed, but like a lot of things with Loki, in retrospect it seemed perfectly logical.

 

Still, alien dinner party sounded awesome in Tony’s mind. Maybe someday he could convince Loki to take him with him. How boring can a party be if the goddamn  _ god of mischief _ was there? 

 

‘Are you on a vacation?’ he suddenly blurted out. 

 

‘Pardon?’

 

‘I mean, you look kind of relaxed and well rested. Not that you look bad on other days, you look great, but I was just thinking…?’ 

 

He didn’t mean to start complimenting Loki on his looks. That was awkward. Thankfully Loki didn’t comment on it, just gave Tony a cryptic closed smile and a raised eyebrow.

 

‘I guess you could say that. The last time I visited you, I had returned from Vanaheim from where I acquired a text I had been long searching. It arrived a few weeks ago and I’ve been studying it since, promising myself to refrain from large scale traveling any time soon.

 

‘Cool.’ Tony figured there was no point in asking what kind of text it was. Loki wouldn’t tell him the secrets of his magic any more than Tony would have told him about his tech.

 

The mage kicked off his leather boots and wiggled his toes in the fresh breeze. ‘Before you ask, we  _ do _ have socks in Asgard.’

 

He heard Tony close his mouth with a click. Loki smiled. He didn’t bother elaborating that he no longer resided on Asgard. Hadn’t for quite some time, in fact.

 

‘By the way, how do you manage avoiding all of Jarvis’ sensors?’

 

Loki had known the question would pop up. Sooner, rather than later. 

 

‘It’s not easy, if it makes you feel any better.’

 

‘That’s not an answer.’

 

‘Magic, then.’

 

‘That’s not an answer, either.’

 

The mage chuckled. ‘I know. The question is, why should I tell you? What is it that you can give me in return?’

 

‘You mean besides the free liquor, incredible view and amazing company? Okay, okay. What do you want, then?’

 

For a second there, Nick Fury’s face popped up in Tony’s mind, screaming  _ We do not negotiate with terrorists! _ at him, but he chased it away with a mouthful of grapes. Yeah, it could be a dangerous game, but he would totally fold if the stakes got too high. Right?

 

‘Show me that blue fire you have blazing in your chest.’

 

Tony felt his face go numb. It was not what he had expected. He had a sudden flashback to him showing it to Obie and how he ended up ripping it from his chest, nearly killing him in the process. He didn’t have an extra arc reactor in the tower.

 

‘Don’t you rather want to know some inside secrets of the team or something?’

 

‘No.’

 

Tony felt like somehow he was supposed to be flattered but the why’s kept circling his brain. Understanding Loki’s intentions was probably a lost cause from the beginning, but he wasn’t confident with showing the reactor to his closest friends, not to mention his enemies.

 

That runaway train of thought brought him back to the fact that Tony didn’t think Loki as his enemy exactly, either. Once a time, maybe, after the whole fallout of New York and all that followed, but the years after, he seemed… changed. Not a man seeking out vengeance or domination, just someone acting on behalf of his own agenda, which only sometimes conflicted with Earth and its people. But he had no delusions of Loki being his friend either. 

 

The mage was unpredictable. A god of mischief, pointy hats and backstabbing. Especially when he seemed bored or in a bad mood. Once Loki had said something during his fight with The Enchantress (which the Avengers were sent to break off a.k.a babysit) that had stuck with Tony. It ran along the lines of ‘ _ good guys, bad guys-- they’re all so  _ predictable _. So boring. It’s the grey men in the middle you should look out for. They’re the ones that can surprise you when you least expect them. _ ’ Tony didn’t want to admit it, but he was finding it to be painfully true.

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Everything I  _ really _ want to know I can find out myself, Stark.’ 

 

‘Tony. And you know, I have some pretty good dirt on ole dr. Doom for example as well. Don’t you have a professional interest? You know he does magic, too.’

 

Loki puffed out a breath, blowing his hair out of his eyes in the process. He finished his drink, made a theatrically dismissive gesture and beckoned Tony to fill his glass.

 

‘Whatever dr Doom  _ thinks _ he’s doing, calling it magic is an insult. It’s merely illusions and card tricks, a child could do it.’

 

‘Why?’ Tony still insisted. He wasn’t looking at Loki anymore, instead kept his eyes firmly on the horizon, but he still saw Loki shrug from the corner of his eye.

 

‘I’m curious, I guess. It is one of my many faults. This and your shirt’s inside out.’

 

Tony looked down. Well shit, what do you know, the bastard was right. The problem with dressing like your ass was on fire was that you ran a pretty decent risk of making a clown out of yourself. 

 

‘But it really comes down to how curious  _ you _ are.’

 

Grey men. Those motherfucking grey men. You just  _ never knew _ . But dammit, Tony  _ was _ curious. And the possibility of knowing something about Loki’s magic, even just a little, was like a carrot dangling in front of his nose. He could act conflicted all he wanted, but there 

was no question in the end result. Besides, Tony was 100% sure magic was just a form of advanced science he just didn’t quite understand yet. Knowing was bound to help him, help  _ the Avengers _ out in defeating not only Loki but their enemies in general. So in all honesty, Fury should probably thank him later for his heroism and selfless bravery. To hell with it.

 

‘Fine. But only because you asked so nice. And no touching!’

 

Tony slided his feet to the ground and sat up facing Loki, taking off his shirt as unceremoniously as possible. Loki didn’t move a muscle, but the engineer could feel his gaze burning a hole in him. The seconds ticked away, neither of them said a word. It was uncomfortable, but overall not as bad as Tony would have expected. Finally, the mage turned his eyes away, locking them on the buildings in the distance.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

Sitting back and pulling his shirt back on, Tony waited for the inevitable questions of  _ what is it _ and  _ what does it do  _ and  _ can I touch it _ . Nothing came. They had made a simple agreement and it seemed Loki would honor it. The first part, at least.

 

He took a sip of his own glass in time with Loki, this time relishing the bitter aftertaste of juniper in his throat, feeling like his feet were touching solid ground again. Tony’s breaths came in easier and he actually felt a little more comfortable with the other man. 

 

‘So, how do you do it?’

 

Thankfully, there was no bullshit this time. Just a straight-up answer. ‘I form a force field around myself, forcing the air and the particles in it to bend the rays of energy around me.  The force field passes the optical information for the background through a small visual bottleneck and expands it at the viewer’s end, in this case, your cameras.’

 

‘Oh, this is brilliant! So blocking the very center of your force fields’ line-of sight will disengage the cloak, but across a decently large angle the cloaking works on the periphery. Is that why I can see you up close, but not from a distance?’

 

Loki smiled. They both had that dazed look of  kids in a candy shop. ‘Exactly.’

 

‘I’ve been using motion tracking and projections for my suit, but if I could think of technology to generate something like your force field… Oh, the possibilities!’ The fact that Tony wasn’t making a mad dash for his lab right about now was really saying something. 

 

‘So what happens if I penetrate the field? Does it shatter?’

 

‘Of course not.’

 

‘So I will be immersed in it.’ Tony touched his hand to Loki’s shoulder. Nothing visibly happened; he felt nothing as well. Just warm flesh hidden under fabric. ‘That will be so cool to look on video later.’

 

Loki chuckled. ‘The field also reflects back all of the heat my body generates as well as isolating the disturbance in the air my movements cause. It would get quite hot if I couldn’t keep open a little pocket dimension.’

 

‘Please tell me it’s in your  _ actual _ pocket.’

 

‘It is.’

 

The answer made Tony laugh. The god couldn’t help but to smile with him, trying to hide it behind his glass.

 

‘But that doesn’t explain how I can hear you. If the field reflects back heatwaves, it should by all means reflect back soundwaves as well. But if you have somehow magiced up a field that’s permeable to soundwaves exclusively, it should be registering on J’s mics as well. Which it doesn’t. I’ve checked.’

 

‘That’s because I’m broadcasting everything straight into your middle ear. Handy that magic, isn’t it?’

 

‘That makes absolutely no sense. In order for any forms of energy to travel from point A to point B, it must travel the distance between them first. It can’t just  _ not exist  _ for a moment.’

 

‘Then how do you think I appeared here, on your balcony tonight? You think I climbed the building?’

 

As much as Tony probably would have enjoyed Loki scaling a 93-story building, he knew it would forever be one of his unfulfilled dreams. 

 

‘By taking advantage of the ripples and tears in space-time?’

 

Loki spread his arms in an universal I-rest-my-case gesture. He had a ‘ _ well done, Stark _ ’ on his tongue, but he decided to keep the compliment to himself. Still, it pleased him to see he had not judged the man wrong and there really was genuine brilliance behind all that bravado and narcissism.

 

‘You must tell me more. How do you access those ripples? Theoretically, leaving the fabric of our reality means time as a concept will also cease to exist. How does that work? That is, if you  _ do leave _ reality. Or do you just seamlessly pass from one tear to another?’

 

This went on for quite a while longer, both of the men throwing theories at each other, one more fantastic than the next; from time travel to harnessing the energy of black holes. After the gin was gone, Tony switched over to coffee while Loki seemed content with peaches that were left in the bottom of the bowl. They ended the night sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on Loki’s lounger hunched over a tablet, making notes and sketching down blueprints.

 

It all had happened so seamlessly, neither one of them had actually noticed. It was the kind of thought most likely to get you killed, but Tony had actually felt comfortable with Loki, working and sharing banter. Everyone kept telling how he must be suicidal, so he guessed this was nothing new.

 

And that is the story behind how Tony found himself a new (albeit incognito and probably illegal) science bro. Loki made a habit of visiting Tony about once a month at first; after some time the interval between visits shrunk down to almost weekly basis. Mostly they worked on creating working force fields and hard light generators or just sharing theories and thoughts about everything; getting to know each other in the process, if only a little. Tony found out that Loki hummed silently when he was reading something interesting or that he was meticulous about peeling his tangerines. Loki knew that Tony had most likely troubles sleeping that he didn’t want other people to know; also somewhy he hated Madonna with a vengeance. In addition he hated warm whiskey, cold bread, holes in his socks,  _ lack _ of holes in his jeans, the news anchor on Channel 5, dr. Doom’s ‘lack of imagination’, Avengers’ meetings or meetings in general, the unknown whereabouts of his friend Bruce Banner (Loki couldn’t say he agreed) and so on. Tony Stark apparently hated a lot of things and he was quite vocal about them.

 

The bottom line of it all was that Loki wasn’t  _ bored _ anymore. He found himself amazed more often than not whenever the notion hit him. He knew the rest of the Avengers along with his so-called colleagues or competition (as Tony liked to call them) were getting suspicious. Tony once had informed him that Fury was certain he was planning something big and had asked the Captain to put together a plan of action in case of something like Loki-invasion Vol 2 happened. They had laughed until tears that night. 

 

Loki guessed it was nice having someone he could hang out with and bitch to every now and then. He didn’t like thinking about it, but his personal life had been quite stagnant for the last few years. As long as he didn’t get too attached. Stark might have been good company, but after all he was only a  _ mortal _ . There-and-gone in a flash. 

 

And he couldn’t afford anything to come between himself and his ambitions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much on the support on the first chapter, especially the comments always make me smile!  
> For those who are wondering, I am planning to keep the fick kind of short(ish), probably some 5 chapters or so.  
> Anyway, let me know what you think and I'll try and mobilize myself towards writing another chapter in return!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look out! Here comes emotional Loki!

‘Are you a vampire that i need to invite you in every single time? You know you can teleport into the living room, right?’

 

After all the time they’ve spent together, Loki still insisted on appearing on his penthouse balcony. Tony never understood why. At least he usually let him know when he was coming. Otherwise Loki might have been left standing there in the elements for hours. 

 

‘Stark.’

 

And after all this time, he still stood firm on calling him Stark. 

 

‘It’s Tony. Come on, I have something to show you. Down in the lab. I think I finally figured out where the problem was. You remember how the second relee in the gauntlet kept getting fried? Turned out there was a small miscalculation with the electrics. I’m not pointing any fingers, but-’

 

‘-But the mistake was yours.’ The bastard was smirking again.

 

‘ _ I said  _ I’m not pointing any fingers. Anyway, as i was saying---’

 

Both of them got on the elevator as Loki pushed the button to Tony’s lab. Even though the mage could have teleported there in a heartbeat, he always accompanied Tony on the ride down. Tony never commented on it, but he thought it to be adorably considerate. It gave him a good head start on his ramblings and usually by the time they made it down to their destination they had a hundred ideas they could start working on in a rush. 

 

‘--- and after a few hours I finally managed to replace the colour as well.’

 

The lab was in an even more haphazard state than it usually was. Mostly Loki could at least partly deduce what Tony had been up to by the pattern of his chaos - if the screwdriver in the corner had been thrown against the wall in a fit of anger or whether the shelves were broken because he’d got carried away “testing” some of his new technology. Right now, there seemed no logic to the mess. It appeared as if a strong wind had just gust in from nowhere, picked up a bunch of random stuff and just dropped them in a disarray everywhere.

 

Also, Loki knew Tony hadn’t had a good night's rest in a couple of days. He tended to know by now. The changes were subtle, much more so than in a regular Midgardian, but they were there. In the way Tony’s eyes kept wandering to the left when he’d stop talking or how he’d skip changing his socks. Loki always knew. 

 

The engineer picked up a chunk of metal and wires and thrust his hand into it. It still didn’t look like much, but the two of them had been working on the concept for a couple of months now. As long as they got the prototype to finally work, the design would come later.

 

‘Okay, throw something at me!’

 

Loki saw as shimmering light formed a small shield around Stark’s closed fist. He felt the corners of his mouth tug into a sharp smile.

 

‘Oh, with pleasure.’

 

A tube of construction silicone was sent flying across the lab. Not large enough to cause serious damage if their invention failed, but enough to test the forcefield. Loki observed with mixed feelings of satisfaction and disappointment as the canister bounced off the light surrounding Stark and hit the floor with a dull clunk. 

 

‘Another! Come on, put some feeling into it!’ Tony was getting quite worked up on their success. 

 

Loki picked up a box of screws and hurled it towards the man across from him, aiming for his manic smile. The box was soon followed by a hammer, an old coffee mug and a fancy-looking rock Tony had left lying on the table.

 

‘I. Am. Invincible! Magic Force Field Man!’ Tony was screaming as he felt something hit the back of his head. He turned around just as he saw the Loki he had been eyeing wink out of existence in a flash of light. The  _ real one _ was standing a little behind the inventor in a safe distance. 

 

‘Not quite.’

 

Another wink of light and another smack at the back of Tony’s head.

 

‘Hey, you stop that! That’s not fair!’

 

Tony was swirling around like crazy, trying (but mostly failing) to block Loki’s attempts on his life. Or dignity. Whatever. He still had a smile on his face.

 

‘ _ Life’s _ not fair, Stark.’

 

‘Tony.’

 

He had finally caught another glimpse of the god and wasted no time in throwing the remote he had clutched in his free hand. Only when Loki doubled over laughing did he understand that the whack on his forehead wasn’t another hit of Loki’s but his own backfire, the remote bouncing off from the forcefield of the gauntlet, still held in front of his face. Right. They hadn’t figured out the permeability issue yet. 

‘Ouch.’

 

He sounded adorable, like a pouting child. Tony pulled off the gauntlet and put it on the table. The shimmering light winked out as Loki struggled to get his composure back.

 

‘Green and gold. Well I’m flattered.’

 

‘Yeah, I guess you helped a little as well. I’m still taking credit for the gold part, though.’

 

Loki figured ‘helping a little’ was an understatement but didn’t comment on it. Both of them knew it already. He stalked closer, a little cautious.

 

‘You know, I’ve been thinking about that permeability issue. Give me your tablet.’

 

In the end, it took almost four hours but they finally sent the almost-working gauntlet to Jarvis for bodywork. There really wasn’t much left to do for them today. Loki sneaked a glance at the clock, it read 23:14.

 

‘So, wanna watch a movie or something?’

 

The mage had a feeling he should leave and let Tony get some well deserved sleep. But then again, he wasn’t tired and had nothing better to do at home. Plus he kind of enjoyed the mortal’s company. Maybe.

 

‘Why not.’

 

Yeah, he was selfish. Sue him.

 

Tony was already heading towards the elevator. It seemed as if the thought that Loki would refuse hadn’t even crossed his mind. The god followed.

 

‘So how do you feel about tacky comedies? I have the perfect one in mind.’

 

In the penthouse, Tony climbed over the couch and hurled himself next to the god, throwing his feet on the table.

 

‘Jarvis, play The Mask. And dim the lights.’

 

‘Is it any good, at least? You know I will maim you if it is not.’

 

Loki saw, with some ire, that Tony was unfazed by his threat, empty or otherwise. 

 

‘Oh baby, if you haven’t discovered the pure comedic brilliance that is Jim Carrey, you have been missing out on life big time.’ 

 

The man draped his hands over the backrest of the sofa. One could easily see he was comfortable in his own home. Somehow, Loki was irked by the casual way the mortal held himself in his presence. It hadn’t bothered him before, probably because he hadn’t noticed it so much until now. And probably because he had felt comfortable as well. But now…

 

But now. The inventor’s hands on the backrest, the calloused fingers drumming against the fabric along with the opening theme. Loki noticed how those hands were close enough that if he bent to the left just the slightest amount, it would almost feel like they were around his shoulders and the thought made him frown. Made him angry that for half a second, he had actually considered doing it.

 

‘Nice, salted caramel popcorn. Can I have some?’

 

Loki decided he wouldn’t let himself get worked up. He offered the bag in Tony’s direction, keeping his eyes on the movie.

 

‘You have good taste.’

 

That made Loki smirk in that knowing way of his. He was beginning to feel a little more himself again. ‘I know.’

 

‘You know, I should have a pack of those around here somewhere as well.’

 

The smirk grew. ‘I know.’

 

‘Wait, you’re not…’ Tony slowly turned to Loki who did his best not to respond. ‘Is that  _ my _ popcorn?’

 

‘Perhaps.’

 

‘You’re unbelievable, you know that?’ He grabbed a large handful of the popcorn as aggressively as he could. Both of them knew Tony didn’t actually mind. 

 

Loki managed to enjoy almost a whole minute’s worth of uninterrupted movie when Tony threw his head theatrically back on the backrest and let out a unsatisfied groan. Loki couldn’t help but roll his eyes. 

 

‘What is it now, Stark?’ Sometimes he felt like a babysitter.

 

‘Tony. And I forgot my drink.’ 

 

Another groan, another roll of Loki’s eyes. He waved his hand and the glass of whiskey Tony had left on the bar appeared in the god’s hands. He bought the liquid close to his lips and blew on it softly, making the crystal fog up and the drink inside chill. Loki could have done it just as easily with a snap of his fingers, but he knew how effective it looked. He also knew that Tony was watching him like a marvel.

 

‘That is hella cool. And useful. I should have you around more often. Thank you.’

 

Loki was already about to say something curt back at Stark but the thank you made him bite the words back. The god wasn’t used to being thanked for small (or big, for that matter) acts of magic and even though he knew it was stupid, every time the inventor thanked him for doing something, even as trivial as cooling his whiskey, it made him soften a little. He turned his eyes back to the screen.

 

As it turned out, the movie wasn’t that bad. Tony laughed a lot and even Loki did, in some places. Tony  _ had _ chosen this movie with a purpose, after all. 

 

‘So this is supposed to be, what, me in the mask?’ It was hard stopping the bursts of laughter threatening to break his resolve, especially when Stanley failed to transform in front of the mask-expert-guy, making him look like a complete loon. Now  _ that _ was definitely something that Loki would orchestrate. 

 

‘You mean you don’t recognize yourself in the movie? And here I thought you were actually  _ in _ it. Although, you do have a much nicer smile.’

 

Yes, Loki smiled to that. He couldn’t stop himself. 

 

‘And I am an amazing dancer.’

 

Tony laughed and wiggled his eyebrows, mocking as if shaking maracas in the beat of him singing ‘Chick-chicky-boom, chick-chicky-boom, chick-chicky-boom!’

 

Loki burst out laughing. ‘Oh, from now on, I’m leaving the singing to you,  _ Iron Man _ .’ 

 

Today was feeling like an emotional roller coaster for Loki. Everything seemed to irritate him one minute, yet he was bubbling with laughter the next. Was that how women on their periods felt like? Oh, he hated it. Losing control.

 

But it did happen occasionally. Namely when he forgot himself in some of his studies that required manipulating with the natural flow of energy. Because magic - it was a fickle mistress indeed. Mostly it just left Loki physically drained. Sometimes, like today, it left him emotionally drained and tricky. A few months ago, the mage would have made sure to sit those kind of imbalances out, resting or hunting until his magic calmed down, but lately he had been finding it more and more difficult to stay away from Stark. His pleasant company and intelligent conversation calmed Loki and his hatred for the rest of this world’s unworthy occupants. And the man made him laugh, even more often than he would have liked. 

 

The problem was Loki felt like he was beginning to feel addicted. The thought had occurred to him before, but it returned with full force some hours ago, standing in front of his bathroom mirror and convincing himself that it would be ok - he was perfectly capable of controlling his wayward emotions and that there was no need to stay home and wait for his magic to calm. 

 

Loki had known he was wrong. Yet he came anyway.

 

Now looking at the  _ world’s mightiest hero _ , shaking imaginative maracas and singing along to some crazy song, the need to lash out at something rose up again. The laughter on his lips died as he forced himself to face the screen.

 

He had to keep his calm. And he would.

 

The rest of the movie passed in uneventful manner. Tony laughed in some places where Loki pretended to smile along, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Mostly, he was cursing himself to Hel and back for coming here in the first place. He had  _ known _ it was trouble, but he couldn’t stay away. Well, no more. When the movie ended, he promised himself to take a break from visiting Stark tower. For two months, for starters. And maybe by then, he would have found himself an even interesting pastime, who knows. All he did know was that something needed to be done.

 

‘Wine?’

 

Loki was bought out from his musings. The lights were on and the screen in front of him long black. Stark was standing at his usual place at the bar, uncorking an expensive looking bottle and draining it into a carafe. 

 

Well, Loki’s mind was made. He let the weird sort of tension bleed out from him and guessed there was no harm in a glass of wine before he left. Besides, Stark always had the best kind.

 

‘Why not.’

 

Loki joined the engineer standing across from the counter, letting their fingers brush slightly as Tony handed him the glass. The man’s fingers felt warm and pleasant underneath his own cool ones.

 

‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’

 

‘Pardon?´Confused, Loki felt his heart speed up until the inventor’s eyes slipped from his to rest on the panorama of darkness speckled with millions of little lights and flashes. 

 

‘The view. New York city. They say it’s most romantic at night.’

 

Loki smiled and sipped on his wine, keeping his gaze secured on the skyline in front of them. ‘Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?’

 

‘It does.’ Tony’s voice was in rough contrast with Loki’s playfulness and teasing - it felt almost sombre. The mage felt disappointment setting in. ‘For countless times have I been forced to protect this city, my home. From Doom, from Hydra, from…’

 

_ Me _ , Loki thought. The fact that Tony didn’t say it irritated him even more than if the accusation had been thrown out. He clenched his jaw, keeping it forcefully closed. He wasn’t going to fall for his attempt at guilt tripping or whatever this was. 

 

‘Sometimes I  _ do  _ wonder, you know. What it would be like if you’d, you know, be on our side.’ Tony let out a small laugh. He was never good at heartfelt compliments. ‘I bet none would stand a chance against us.’

 

‘You honestly think I have nothing better to do than run around all day catching some delinquents to protect this pathetic little city?’

 

If there was meant to be a compliment in Tony’s announcement somewhere, Loki clearly didn’t find it.

 

‘What, no-’

 

‘You all seem to forget that I am a  _ god _ !’

 

Not this again. Although periodically, Tony had sensed something being off with Loki today. Now he felt the situation getting out of hand. 

 

‘Calm down, Loki!’

 

If anything, it only served as pouring oil into the fire.

 

‘ _ I am calm!’ _

 

He grabbed the opened bottle and threw it against the nearest wall to emphasize his words. Tony just stood there, gaping at the smashed glass and splashes of crimson like a fish out of water. For a moment there, Tony was so surprised of how fast and seemingly out of nothing everything had escalated that his thought process seemed to have been frozen up.

 

‘That… was a 3000 dollar bottle,’ he said meekly.

 

Obviously it was the wrong thing to say. Before Tony could backpedal the words out of his mouth, Loki was gone in an angry flurr of cold air and flying trinkets.

 

‘Well, fuck.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, what was that about??


	4. Chapter 4

Tony was positive that Loki would turn up eventually. Still, just to be on the safe side, after the first three days Tony started practicing something which he had never done before - apologizing. To be honest, he’d known before that Loki was hot headed and, well, a little  _ sensitive _ about certain subjects. Guess he’d gotten so comfortable around the other man - I’m sorry, god - that he had kind of let his guard down. 

 

Besides, Pepper never stopped nagging at him over how crass and inconsiderate he was. She may have had a small point in there somewhere. In hindsight it might have been a little too early to bring out the “come back into the light”-card; if there ever would have been a good time for that with Loki. Not to mention Loki’s weird vibes and Tony’s complete lack of eloquence when it came to saying something he really meant.

 

I mean, sure, it was plain to see that Loki had been greatly over-exaggerating with his reaction, but Tony was doubtful if the mage would admit to that so easy. And, let’s be honest here, Tony was becoming acutely aware how boring everything seemed now when he didn’t have anyone to share his discoveries and jokes with. He tried throwing same kind of quips at Jarvis once, but that just made him feel embarrassed and more alone. 

 

And it had only been two weeks!

 

‘Hey, Jarvis? He’ll come back, right?’

 

It wasn’t unheard of that Loki would sometimes disappear for longer periods of time, but it had become less common in the last months. Not to mention that weird feeling Tony got that there might be something that he was missing. 

 

‘If it is Loki you are referring to, I cannot say, sir. He has proven to be unpredictable and temperamental at the best of times.’

 

Tony mulled it over, letting the pen fall on the half-read documents. There was a whole list of things he would rather be doing than going over some legal works. 

 

‘So what you’re saying is that it’s possible he’s gone? Like, you know-’

 

‘I am suggesting it as a possibility you should perhaps consider, sir. It is impossible for me to make a more inclusive estimation on the data I have.’ 

 

Which was already nearly non-existent. That gave Tony pause. Loki not returning wasn’t really an option he had taken into consideration, but now that Jarvis had suggested the possibility, Tony was starting to doubt himself. It was  _ Loki _ for Christ’s sake! Given all the good traits he had started to discover in him (not being crazy topping the list), he was also exceptionally stubborn and proud. Leaving it perhaps up to Tony to find him, this time.

 

Of course, there was also a third option. That Loki really didn’t want Tony to find him. Maybe it was Tony who’d needed him more and the god was just tagging along for the ride with nothing better to do? 

 

He pushed the thought aside. There was time to deal with that once he’s figured out how to actually  _ find _ the guy. He hadn’t exactly left Tony his phone number.

 

‘Hey J? Is there any way to get some sort of energy signature from Loki’s magic to track him down? Have you picked up anything from the times he was here?’

 

‘I am sorry sir, but there is nothing.’

 

Of course. How could there be when he was hidden from every sensor at all times? It should have made some bells ring in Tony’s head, but he had been so immersed with the gauntlet that he hadn’t even thought about tweaking J’s sensors. 

 

‘How about the items we worked on? There must be something.’

 

‘Nothing in the lab that we could use, I’m afraid. But I am picking up an energy anomaly in the penthouse. It is faint, but there appears to be some traces of Loki’s magic on one of your whiskey glasses, sir.’

 

Six minutes later, Tony had the glass in the lab and under rigorous inspection. 

 

‘So? Is it useable?’

 

‘The energy readings are faint, but there is a possibility that I might be able to isolate and extract it into some kind of scannable form. It will take time.’

 

Tony started pacing the lab, still keeping a close eye on the glass. Taking some action felt good, making him nervous and jittery at the same time.

 

‘How long?’

 

‘Preliminary estimation at least 78 hours, possibly more. And for the scans to bear any results, we must assume that Loki is still on Earth, casting his magic unhidden and in a 25 mile radius from the scanner.’

 

‘And there’s no way to speed things up?’

 

‘At this moment, I’m afraid not, sir. Unless you wish to switch the tower to backup power, I am working at the maximal possible capacity.’

 

Those were rookie numbers, but Tony didn’t have the energy to deal with it right now.

 

‘Okay, call Steve and see if there’s any Iron Man business that needs attending to. I need something to do.’

 

Needless to say, the Captain was greatly surprised to find Tony attending one of the not-end-of-the-world meetings and although the inventor could see he really wanted to say something, Steve managed to keep his mouth shut. 

 

Only after Tony had volunteered for the patrol duty did he find it impossible to hold back the pressing question bouncing around in his head.

 

‘Tony, is everything alright?’

 

_ Of course _ . The man in question rolled his eyes. 

 

‘What? Can’t I just grow a conscience and help the team out  _ without _ being in some sort of personal crysis?’ 

 

Well he wasn’t. In a crysis. 

 

‘What? No! Well, I-’

 

Natasha decided to cut to the chace, this time. ‘I’m sure what Steve means is that usually you’re working on your own personal projects instead of, and I quote, ‘wasting time and productivity on field work’. And frankly, I’m intrigued myself as to what’s caused such an abrupt change in your habits.’

 

Steve was one thing, but if Natasha was suddenly interested in Tony’s motives, it spelled trouble. If he had learned anything about the Black Widow over the years it was that the woman could smell a lie on your breath even before you’ve inhaled to say it. So it was better to stick to the truth. Just not spill all of it, obviously.

 

‘Augh, fine. I have a highly time and energy-consuming test running at the tower and I need something to occupy my mind with or else I’ll slowly start going bonkers.’

 

It was the truth, wasn’t it? And at least Steve was happy with his explanation.

 

‘What kind of test?’

 

‘Do you really wanna know?’

 

‘Fair point. So okay, that means that Tony, you’ll get the northeast side of the perimeter, I’ll be down on the south border. Clint, can you handle west? Okay, wheels up in fifteen. And remember, keep an eye out for anything suspicious - abandoned buildings, misplaced metal scrap, changes in the terrain. The satellite images aren’t very clear in that part of the country due to heavy foresting, so expect to--’

 

Tony tuned him out. Of all the good qualities in Steve, the man sometimes needed way too many words to say something that needed way less.  _ Let’s go, keep your eyes open _ would have sufficed. On second thought, better make it only  _ Let’s go _ . They weren’t interns working their first job away from mummy’s watchful eye. They’ve done this all before. 

 

He got out his phone. There was no update from Jarvis. Might have figured, the AI’s time estimations were usually correct. Still Tony gave him an order to push a silent notification when (or maybe  _ if  _ would be more appropriate) Jarvis would find out about something. 

 

As it turned out, the patrol flight ended up being disappointingly uneventful. There was nothing ‘suspicious’, as Steve had put it, and after four and a half hours, they returned to the base, mostly cold, hungry and bored. At least Tony got to spread his wings a little.

 

‘Hey, anyone want a bite to eat? I know a great place a few miles from here that has killer hot wings. My treat.’

 

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, they were all sitting cosily in a cramped booth of a small town diner, drinking beer and eating burgers. The hot wings turned out not to be as great as Tony had remembered (then again, are things ever?) and aside from the compulsive need to keep checking his phone every five minutes, Tony was enjoying himself. The conversation was easy, even if it was mostly the others talking.

 

‘-- and do you remember what he said to me?’ Clint was desperately trying to laugh and swallow his beer at the same time, nodding along with every word that left Natasha’s mouth. ‘I think you’d look much nicer  _ on  _ the donkey rather than underneath it.’

 

They all burst into another fit of laughter. When it subsided, Tony checked his phone. Nothing.

 

‘You know, this was a wonderful idea Tony and I’ve had a lot of fun, but I really feel like it’s time for me to hit the hay. I think tomorrow calls for another early start.’

 

Nat and Clint drained their glasses and started tugging on their jackets as well.

 

‘Hey-hey, where’s your sense of adventure, guys? This night is just getting started!’ 

 

‘Sorry Tony, but not tonight. I want to head out early tomorrow, we really need to find that base. I’m hoping you’ll join us tomorrow, as well? You can even crash in my place, if you’d like.’

 

Tony thought about it for a second, but still shook his head. ‘No, I think I’ll better head back home. Thanks for the offer, though. And I’ll be there tomorrow, I think. See you guys.’

 

After they all left, Tony sat in the booth by himself for some time still, staring blankly at his phone, not even trying to form some coherent line of thought. 

  
  


* * *

 

 

After another day of hard work and very little play, Tony was just about to land on his penthouse balcony when the notification came. 

 

It just read: ‘Scan complete’

 

He pushed the memo aside and rode straight down to the lab.

 

‘So, what’s up? Did we find something?’

 

‘I’m afraid not, sir. Either the traces of magic on the glass are too faint or the technology to scan them are yet to be invented.’

 

The screens sprang to life as Tony entered the lab, showing all sorts of graphs and tables with very little actual information. He let his eyes scan everything in hopes to find something useful, but there really wasn’t anything. _Anything_. At first Tony had hoped to find at least some sort of breadcrumbs leading him in what direction to take, but it seemed like Jarvis was right - the technology to capture the type of magical energy that Loki seemed to use simply didn’t exist and without his aid would be near impossible to invent.

 

‘Well fuck. There has to be something. Jarvis, play me that surveillance footage of the penthouse balcony again.’

 

On the main screen, the video popped up. It was a video Tony had watched many times before. It showed him, seemingly alone, sitting on a lounger outside, talking to himself. Suddenly he reached out and like moving through an invisible mirror, his hand disappeared almost up to the elbow; a few seconds later appearing back, unharmed. Tony examined the moment of his hand appearing and disappearing over and over again.

 

‘Jarvis, is there any way for you to scan for that little pocket dimension Loki’s carrying around?’

 

‘No, sir. Since Loki is surrounding himself with some sort of shield which doesn’t let any energy escape, there are no readings to be done. But I might be able to scan for the absence of matter whenever he casts up the shield again.’

 

It was a long shot, but it was still better than nothing. After staying up for most of the night going through simulations and different energy readings, they finally got (what Tony thought would be a working) sensor up and operating. He managed to amp the radius somewhat up compared to Jarvis’ original estimation, but not much. 

 

Having attached yet another antenna to the to the growing forest on the roof of his tower, Iron Man took flight. He could powernap during Steve’s debrief. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Finally, Tony was sure he had found something. 

 

‘Hey Cap, I think I got something, here. It looks like a entrance to some kind of an underground base. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of heat signature, but I’m not sure how far down that rabbit hole goes. I sent you my coordinates, I’m gonna go check it out.’

 

‘Copy that, Tony. I’m coming right down, be careful. This place could be booby-trapped.’

 

Tony let his faceplate snap shut and blew the door off it’s hinges. The inside looked like a proper secret lair - long dark corridors, dripping pipes, occasional spray-painted insignia. All very Hydra. 

 

The place seemed to be positively abandoned. Even if the scepter had been here, it was probably moved a long time ago. He walked into a large open hall that seemed to have seen some heavy duty usage by the looks of things - there was burnt paper and ash everywhere, the floor was badly charred and… were those silhouettes of people singed on the walls?

 

If Tony had to guess, this is where they had tried to remove the stone. Didn’t go so well, did it?

 

‘Hey, umm, this is definitely the place, but there’s nothing left. Looks like this has been abandoned for several weeks already, maybe even months. I’ll try and see if I can’t-’

 

Two consecutive explosions cut Tony off. He could feel the force of the blasts throwing him out of balance. Everything seemed to kind of slow down. There was a shrill ringing in his ears, but he sensed everything else with perfect clarity. At first there came the smaller pebbles, clinking against his suit, making it vibrate as he was being thrown almost to the other side of the hall. The air seemed to grow thick and shimmer with heat even through the air filtration system of the Iron Man suit. His head cracked against the floor. The impact must of hurt but somehow it didn’t. 

 

Next came the larger stone and rubble, parts of the ceiling finding it’s new resting place on his chest plate. It must have crushed the suit because the impact blew  all the air out of his lungs and he couldn’t for the life of him draw a fresh breath. Something warm was trickling down his side and his mouth tasted like old pennies. Lungs, then. 

 

How far away were everybody? There was no point calculating their speed and distance. They were far enough.

 

His whole body felt like it was full of lead, slowly but surely sinking through the floor ( _ express elevator straight to hell _ \- he almost cracked a smile to that thought). Tony couldn’t feel his legs.

 

But wasn’t there something he had needed to do? Something to say?

 

Something vital?

 

It seemed terribly important but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what it had been. And maybe dying down here all alone would have been kind of okay if it weren’t for that one thing that he didn’t got to do (say?) back when he had the chance. Now there were no more chances left and it didn’t leave him be. 

 

Tony’s vision was turning blurry and he had the feeling he didn’t have much time left. At least it was painless, a small mercy. There were lights dancing in front of his eyes, mostly green and gold and Tony was sure they were symbolic to him somehow. Suddenly his breathing seemed a little easier. Another green dot dancing in his vision. No, there were two of them. Those two dots were the answer somehow, if he could just get the right words out. He had no idea what those words were, but if he could just catch his breath then they would surely fall from his lips. 

 

That breath never came. Tony’s lips worked in tragic desperation until the two dots left him and all that was left was the warm darkness and the ringing in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case some of you already guessed - yep, we have officially circled back to the beginning. Now that we have the past of their relationship figured out, it's time to see what happens next!


	5. Chapter 5

‘Stop beating yourself up over it, Steve. It wasn’t your fault.’

 

‘I didn’t even say anything.’

 

‘You don’t need to. I could feel your self-accusations all the way to the other side of the corridor.’

 

Steve finally raised his head from his slouching posture on one of the armchairs in Tony’s room. The hands resting on his knees were sweaty, leaving darker smudges on his dusty cargo pants. His face was framed with the ‘eyebrows of disappointment’, this time probably aimed at himself. Natasha was sitting a little to his right side, Clint leaning on the wall next to the door. They seemed calm and that helped. 

 

Steve let the silence linger, looking at the hospital bed where Tony was laid, his eyes closed and breathing deep. 

 

He had been the first one to arrive. There wasn’t much to see on the surface apart from the iron doors that had been blasted off by Tony’s repulsors and the dark entrance to the base like a gaping mouth embedded in a small hill, empty of teeth, patiently waiting to be fed another unsuspecting soul. The inside was a different matter. Some 50 paces in you could start to see the destruction - scattered rocks everywhere, the walls and supporting beams in the ceiling cracked and crumbling, in some places the dust was so thick that the beam of his S.H.I.E.L.D-issue flashlight just seemed to get  _ stuck _ . For anyone that had stopped to think about it, it would have been clear that this wasn’t a very safe place to be if you would have liked to avoid being buried alive in the not-so-distant future. Steve definitely  _ didn’t stop _ , instead he methodically ran through all of the rooms, calling out for Tony’s name. As he turned another corridor, his steps stalled. A large doorway, probably leading to a mess hall or a warehouse of sorts, the entrance completely caved in. This had to be the place. His heart fell. If Tony was in there… suit or no suit… He was probably already late. 

 

Somewhere inside the room, the cave-in continued in a distant rumble. It was muffled by the sound of Steve panting and throwing boulders, making his way into the hall. Sweat was pouring down his face, dampening his hair and back; fingers bleeding and muscles aching, but he didn’t dare stop. Within 10 minutes, backup arrived; within 20 the entrance was cleared. 

 

‘Tony! Tony!’

 

Steve found him lying in a small puddle of blood near a far-end wall, his undersuit torn and soft body exposed. The Iron Man suit was sprawled agape on the floor a few paces off, crushed and broken by the looks of it. 

 

‘Tony, can you hear me? You’re breathing, you’re okay. He’s breathing! Somebody get a medic, go!’

 

Later on, the doctor said his injuries were miraculously slight - nothing broken, just a few cracked bones, a superficial wound on his left thigh and some scrapes and bruises. Nothing that wouldn’t heal in a course of a few weeks, given that the man would take it easy for the next few weeks.

 

‘But I never should have given him permission to go in there alone. It was sloppy leadership. Just because the base seemed empty--‘

 

‘Stop it, Steve. We all know the risks, so does Tony. And don’t kid yourself with the illusion that the man takes orders from someone. Besides, the doctor said he’s fine, probably just sleeping off his sleep debt.’

 

‘Yeah, the bastard probably doesn’t even-’

 

‘Oh my god, don’t you guys ever shut up?’

 

Clint snapped his mouth shut. None of them had noticed how the beeping of the heart monitor had come out of the slow monotone of sleep and into a slightly upbeat rhythm of wakefulness. Steve was up and about in a second.

 

‘Tony! You’re awake!’

 

‘Well I  _ was  _ having the best sleep of my life until your goddamn bickering woke me up.’

 

Steve laughed breathlessly. ‘Yeah, sorry about that. How are you feeling?’

 

He watched as the inventor’s brows furrowed and he patted himself all over, then tilted his head to one side and gave Steve a curious look.

 

‘Pretty damn good actually, all things considered.’

 

‘What happened?’

 

‘I was extremely lucky.’

 

The words just blurted out without Tony even thinking about them. Felt as if somebody had planted them in his head and he needed to get them out. He rested his head back on the pillow and rubbed his eyes. The hospital room suddenly seemed stuffy and overly warm. The leg under the bandages was itching like crazy but he wasn’t stupid enough to scratch it, just lightly tapping it with his left hand instead.

 

‘Well, duh.’ Clint had started slowly pacing the room, ‘but seriously, dude. We found you out of your suit, splayed on the floor like a starfish in a pretty much only clear part of the whole room. And later on, the doc tells us you’re apparently peachy and sleeping like a little baby angel.’

 

Tony spread his hands. ‘Honestly, I can’t remember. All I know is that i walked in to inspect the hall and just as I was talking to you guys, the explosions went off and I must of got hit with something big - bam! - passed out. J’s emergency protocol probably expelled me from the suit just as it was running out of power. And shut up! That’s not very sympathetic of you!’

 

Clint had started giggling as Tony was concluding his tale. ‘Sorry dude, but I just can’t get the picture of you being  _ expelled _ from your suit out of my head! Like a misbehaving puppy!’ He made a show of holding something out in front of him and then figuratively kicking it with his foot. This time, Clint’s giggles were joined by Natasha, who was very cunningly hiding them behind her closed fist and a fit of coughs.

 

‘Yeah, very funny guys.’

 

Tony’s phone, which was very thoughtfully placed on his bedside table, gave a brief ring. He reached to pick it up and read through the message. The heart monitor next to the bed started beeping quicker and he wished it would just shut up already. 

 

‘You know, as much as I love being the butt of your jokes, you should get out of here before Pepper finds you and skins you all alive. Not to mention I could really use some peace and quiet right now.’

 

Steve gave Clint and Natasha condemning looks as he ushered them out of the room. ‘Sure thing, Tony. Don’t worry. We’ll be back soon, okay?’

 

‘Sure thing.’

 

Natasha poked his head through the closing door: ‘We really are glad you’re okay, Tony.’ 

 

‘Yeah, I know. Thanks.’ He answered Clint’s peace sign through the window and watched as the three of them disappeared down the hallway and into the elevator.

 

Laying his head on the pillow, he took another look at his phone and placed it back on the table, taking a quick minute to think things through. 

 

‘I know you’re here. Might as well show yourself.’

 

For the longest time nothing happened. Then all of a sudden, Loki was standing in the far end of the room, eyeing Tony in a carefully guarded manner. 

 

For several moments, Loki refused to speak and Tony simply didn’t know what to say. Finally the mage caught a glimpse at the phone lying on the table; when he looked back Tony saw a question in his eyes. He cleared his throat.

 

‘So, you’re probably wondering how I knew you were here, yeah? I was trying to find you and um, kind of… ended up inventing a sensor that detects the absence of space and matter created by that shield you cast. Quite primitive, but took me bunch of time to come up with if I’m honest.’

 

‘That’s not primitive.’

 

Again, Tony didn’t know what else to say. It wasn’t the answer he had been anticipated and it left him mute, absentmindedly still tapping the wound on his leg.

 

‘How are you?’

 

‘Better than everyone’s expecting me to be. But then again, you should know more about it than I do.’

 

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Damn, Loki was good. Not a single twitch, not a beat missed.

 

‘Well, I think I kind of pieced things together. Here’s the thing - my chances of survival weren’t all that great without a near miracle. And when it comes to miracles, you’re the only one I can think of. That, and the fact my suit doesn’t actually have a emergency release protocol.’

 

Loki gave him a slight smirk. ‘I see. So you think me a miracle?’

 

It was that moment Tony figured he must’ve had hit his head harder than he thought because he couldn’t come up with anything clever or sassy to say back to that teasing bastard. He had a disturbing feeling that his silence (and the blood rushing to his head) was saying a lot more than his words ever could if the growing grin on Loki’s face was any indicator. 

 

After a few seconds of very uncomfortable silence Tony finally managed to force out a weak ‘don’t flatter yourself, I have a concussion.’ Did nothing for that grin, though.

 

‘Won’t you at least quit standing there like statue and sit down like a normal person?’

 

And just like that, Loki’s face was blank again. Had Tony blinked he would have missed it. There was almost a comment of not being a normal person on Loki’s tongue but he swallowed it down. ‘I’m afraid I must leave you now. I have other business to attend to.’

 

‘Like what?’

 

Loki didn’t answer, just kept standing there in the shadows, his battle armor creaking softly with every breath he took. He had a formal aura to him and it seemed to be there to distance Tony. The inventor expected to hear how it was none of his business.

 

‘Don’t bullshit me Loki. I’m sure a magical god like yourself could find a few minutes if he wants to. The question is,  _ do you _ ?’

 

He didn’t answer, just stood there for another minute as if to wind up tension, seemingly torn. Finally Loki relented, sitting down on the chair next to Tony’s bed. 

 

‘What in the Norns is that cursed beeping?’

 

‘Oh that? It’s nothing, ignore it’ Tony said, pulling the electrodes off his chest, losing quite a few chest hairs in the painful process. The sound really was making him crazy. 

 

Loki observed him with a raised eyebrow. ‘Are you sure you’re supposed to be doing that?’

 

‘Well what’s the worst that could happen with you here?’

 

He discarded the wires and stickers offhandedly onto the floor and gave Loki his best winning smile. Funny enough, it probably felt better than it looked with the dark bruises under his eyes and the concrete dust stiffing up his hair. The room fell into silence. Maybe Tony  _ was _ putting too much faith in Loki but he sure as hell wasn’t going to stop now.

 

‘You said you were searching for me.’

 

‘Oh. Yeah.’ Tony refused to be embarrassed. He’d had enough time to run several scenarios in his head and even if Loki tried to play him disappearing off as nothing special Tony wasn’t going to give up that easy. ‘I was.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Well with you storming off and disappearing like that, what did you expect me to do?’

 

There was a second when Tony saw that Loki didn’t know what to say; then the blank mask covered everything again. It was infuriating.

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Cause I was worried about you!’

 

‘Oh save me your pity.’ Tony could see he was losing the mage. Loki looked like he was ready to stand up and storm out (not that he needed to storm out to leave).

 

‘What? Pity? Oh come on! Would you finally fucking stop thinking yourself as some kind of underdog! Just because i wanted to make sure nothing had happened to you doesn’t make me think less of you. It’s what friends do.’

 

For a second, Loki just sat there in his chair, looking at Tony. If he hadn’t known any better he would have thought the mage looked startled. Then he stood up and Tony was sure he was going to teleport away; instead Loki walked back into the darkest corner of the overly bright room and just stood there, staring out the window.

 

‘I don’t have friends.’

 

‘I hate to break it to you sunshine, but you have now, at least one.’

 

‘Why? What is it that you’re hoping to accomplish?’ Loki had started pacing back and forward, avoiding looking at Tony as best as he could (which was pretty good). At least he wasn’t leaving. But boy was he trying Tony’s patience.

 

‘I am  _ trying _ to stop you from pushing me away! Why is it so hard for you to believe that someone could like you for what you are instead of what you know or can do? I started looking for you because I didn’t know when - and if - you’d be back and I started missing hanging out with you. In case you haven’t noticed, I think you’re funny and it’s good having someone to talk to that can actually keep up with what I’m saying.’

 

Halfway through Tony’s rant Loki stopped his restless pacing, standing in front of the window again and pretending like nothing was going on. But deep down, he was inhaling Tony’s words like a man drowning, trying to keep the bittersweet ache somewhere in his chest at bay. After the painful process of detaching himself from Tony the man was tearing open the barely healed scabs again and making it impossible for Loki to keep him away. Did the engineer have even the slightest idea what those words meant to him?

 

‘You wouldn’t say those words would you know who I really am.’

 

‘Then who are you, Loki? Let me know you.’

 

‘Thor hadn’t failed to mention to you that I’m adopted, I presume? But did he also tell you how I am a frost giant, a runt of my kind left to die until Odin oh so  _ graciously _ decided to take me with him to be raised as the golden son’s footman?’ 

 

As he was speaking, Loki was slowly moving closer to the foot of Tony’s bed, his face distorted with rage and disgust, letting the illusion fall from his skin, letting the beast come out. The red eyes, the blue skin, the horns, the everything. 

 

‘You want to know me? I am the monster that parents tell their kids about at night. When you misbehave, a frost giant will come and steal you away, gauge your eyes out and eat your tongue. Just the barest touch of my skin will burn you, freeze in a blink of an eye.’

 

Even in the full daylight, Tony had to admit to himself that Loki looked pretty damn imposing standing there in the foot of his bed, snarling down at him. He had suspected the god might have something hidden up his sleeve, but nothing that could compare to this. 

 

But the main question was in the end, did any of it really matter?

 

‘You didn’t burn me.’

 

Clearly Loki didn’t get the kind of reaction he had expected. Was Tony supposed to run away screaming? 

 

‘If you think that changes anything for me it doesn’t. So what if you have blue skin and freeze everything? I can give you oven mittens and a warm sweater if you want to. I don’t care.’

 

‘You don’t care?’

 

‘I don’t care.’

 

Loki looked so confused it was almost painful to watch. ‘You don’t…  _ care _ ?’

 

‘Nope. Now come on and sit back down, you’re making me nervous.’

 

In his turmoil Loki must have forgot that he was a magic-wielding god that took no orders from mere mortals as he actually did as he was told for once, folding his hands in his lap and staring at a spot on Tony’s blanket, looking like he was having some sort of inner debate with himself.

 

‘ The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.’

 

The laugh Loki breathed out was as dry as the desert, lacking any humour whatsoever.

 

‘You think my actions destine me any greater than my heritage?’

 

Tony just shrugged. He felt as tired as Loki looked. The blue of his skin was slowly fading back to the alabaster Tony was used to.

 

‘I’m not the one to judge. Believe me when I say I wasn’t always the heroic hunk of a man I am today. For what it’s worth, in my eyes your life started on that rooftop downtown five months ago. It’s never  _ too late. _ ’

 

For some time, Loki said nothing and Tony let him think. It was already astonishing enough that they’ve had that conversation without anyone (read Tony) getting stabbed or thrown out the window; he didn’t dare risk agitating Loki any further than the mage was willing to go.

 

‘Who’s quote is that?’

 

‘Umm… Mewtwo. It’s a-- powerful mythical creature we have here on Earth.’

 

‘He sounds very wise. Funny I haven’t heard of it.’

 

Tony’s poker face seemed unbreakable right now. ‘Well, no one can be expected to know all of them, there’s like literally billions of them I think.’

 

‘So what do you want me to say, now?’

 

The brief time-out was over, it seemed.

 

‘Nothing. I’ve said my piece, you’ve said yours. Can we just go back to the way things used to be now?’

 

The look that Tony gave to the god sitting in his bedside was full of poorly concealed hope he was powerless to stop. No idea why he was so bent on getting through to Loki but somewhy it seemed immensely important. 

 

For a moment Loki pretended to be considering things, making Tony hold his breath. He sighed. ‘Fine, Stark. If it means so much to you.’

 

‘Finally! But don’t think you can fall back like that after calling me Tony back at that damn Hydra base! I’ve tolerated it enough as it is; I think we’re way past last names by now.’

 

‘You’re not supposed to remember that.’

 

‘You know how bad I am in taking orders.’

 

‘Very well, if you so insist. Tony.’

 

At that, the man broke into a grin which Loki, almost begrudgingly, joined. 

 

‘See, that wasn’t all that hard was it?’

 

Loki sat there in silence for a few moments, trying to wipe that uninvited smile off his face while Tony made himself comfortable again, lying down on his side where he could observe the god more easily. 

 

‘Now I think I’m really gonna go. You can be physically exhausting when you want to, Tony.’

 

Tony’s name from Loki’s lips in that deep voice sounded oh-so-pleasant to him. ‘Fine. But can you at least heal my leg before you go? The itching is slowly killing me.’

 

Loki was already standing in that same corner in which he manifested in, a mellow smile on his lips. ‘Absolutely not. You deserve to suffer a little. Besides I think your injuries would keep you from making such terrible decisions again for at least a little while.’ 

 

And just like that he was gone, giving Tony no chance to reply. He finally gave in and scratched the hell out of his stitches.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony’s first few days out of the hospital were hectic. It seemed as if everyone that had heard about the man’s little adventure turned up at some point, bringing him food and drinks and flowers like he had just tangoed with death and walked to tell the tale. In a way he guessed he had, but to Tony it just felt like something that was  _ supposed to _ happen; and now that it was done and over with, there was something further, something bigger and more important to come. 

 

By no means was Tony a superstitious, destiny-believing man, but whatever  _ that _ was, it felt as if it was almost out of his hands. Like he was guided towards something, some event or action, but the last pages of the script were left blank. Left blank with the sole purpose that Tony would be the one to fill them himself. That vague, unexplainable feeling seemed to accompany him constantly, growing stronger as days went by, making him jittery and nervous when he stopped to think about it. So he didn’t - insead he pushed it aside and trampled it somewhere deep along with the rest of the stone and rubble he had gathered over the years of avoiding his problems. 

 

Not that he didn’t appreciate everyone stopping by to wish him a quick recovery, just that it was almost unbearably exhausting. After the first four or five visitors, everything seemed to fall into a pattern of sorts - smile when they hand Pepper some gift or other, thank them, say that you don’t remember much; you’re okay. Show off your cast, speak a few words about your projects (or lie). Offer a drink. Something small that doesn’t take long to consume. Say you’re not supposed to drink because of your meds (also a lie. Probably). Thank everyone for coming and hope that they get the hint. Rinse and repeat.

 

So as soon as the last of his guests had left and a quick look at the tower’s surveillance confirmed that there indeed was no-one currently en route, Tony locked down the penthouse and escaped down to the lab. 

 

‘So I showed Adam and Missy out and thanked them on your behalf since your thoughts were obviously already occupied elsewhere,’ Pepper said as she strode into the lab, high heels clicking coldly on the stone floor. She threw him one of her long-suffering looks, accompanied by that close lipped smile she held reserved only for Tony. ‘Stafford also called but I told him you needed your rest. How on Earth did you manage to get here so fast, I was only gone a minute-- And where are your crutches?’ 

 

Tony, hunched over a worktable, didn’t bother raising his head, only called out ‘you’re a lifesaver, miss Potts. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

 

The clicking of those heels came closer as the woman inside them leaned on a chair opposite of Tony.

 

‘What are you even working on?’

 

‘Just tinkering.’ Tony pushed the magnifying glasses up into his hair and stretched his back with a satisfying crack. He gave Pepper a small smile in return. The woman really was an angel.

 

‘You’re tinkering? On an Ulysse Nardin watch?’

 

‘Yeah, why not. Everything can be improved; right now all it does is tell time.’

 

Pepper stared in amused disbelief. ‘It’s a  _ watch _ , Tony.’

 

‘Sir, director Fury is on the line. Should I patch him through?’

 

Tony pulled his glasses down and bent back over the shredded watch on the table. ‘Connect him to Pepper, will ya? I’m sure he could use some womaly rebuke.’ 

 

Pepper sighed. ‘You’ll owe me one, Tony,’ she called over her shoulder, heading for the elevator.

 

‘Love ya!’

 

It took him 16 hours, three pairs of glasses and countless cups of coffee, but in the end Tony was quite pleased with the end result. He placed the watch back in it’s original case, dropped it on the living room table and poured himself a drink. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Loki found the inventor working in his lab, the tanned body covered in grime and sweat. He was actually surprised finding Tony there considering Midgardians’ noticeable frailty and the trauma he had lived through just some days ago. Loki had much more presumed to find the man week after his check out from the hospital in bed or in front of the TV, giving his body some well deserved rest. 

 

Then again, Tony wasn’t just your average Midgardian. 

 

Almost as soon as Loki had teleported himself on the Stark Tower balcony (no matter what, to the mage it would always be  _ Stark  _ Tower) Jarvis had informed him that his master was expecting him in the main laboratory. Now he was observing his mortal sitting on a saddle stool, his cast perched up on a stack of unstable-looking boxes. The crutches he was assumably moving around with were discarded on the floor along with a lumbar brace Loki presumed the man was supposed to be wearing. Tony was obviously keeping himself busy, hammering out the dents in his chest plate as if working out some repressed anger. Loki joined his hands behind his back and watched the inventor work. 

 

Finally the hammer was placed on the table and given some rest. ‘Hey Lokes,’ the man said with a obscure smile. He looked a little like some mad scientist with that crazed expression on his face; sweat beading his temples and forehead (and dripping down his neck, Loki’s out-to-lunch mind added). Tony grabbed a fistful of his hair for a second, leaving it in disarray. 

 

Loki nodded in greeting. ‘You look… well.’

 

‘Yeah? Well, don’t let looks fool you.’ He grabbed the hammer from the table and started working over the suit once more. 

 

‘Isn’t there a more efficient way to mend that? This hammer of yours doesn’t seem to be making a huge impact.’

 

For a while the only sounds in the lab were the metallic clincks of the blows and Tony’s laboured breathing, which brought back some unpleasant set of memories for the god. Just as Loki was beginning to think he wouldn’t get an answer the engineer spoke up. ‘Probably. Or definitely. I just need to bash something that doesn’t fight back right now.’

 

Loki gave him another moment; the sound of metal on metal continued. ‘I can leave if it’s an inconvenient time for you.’

 

That made Tony finally stop and put the hammer down. ‘No, don’t. I’ve just been feeling stretched-- thin, you know? But I… I think I actually feel a little better already,’ he finished with a small surprise.

 

‘Tell me.’ That was not a request - it was an order.

 

At first Tony kind of wanted to tell the god to go fuck himself because Tony Stark didn’t take orders from no-body; but when the first few words got out of his mouth it seemed like they just wouldn’t quit. He’d bitched about his current situation before - to numerous people and in numerous occasions - but it seemed like Loki would finally be someone able to understand, to  _ empathize _ with him.

 

‘I think I’m going stir-crazy, Lokes. I’ve been cooped up for almost two weeks and if I need to be staring at those three walls any longer ---  _ I’m gonna lose it _ .’

Loki decided not to comment on the new nickname he seemed to have acquired (there were worse things he had been called over the centuries) along with the fact that there were indeed four walls in a room. 

 

‘I’m sure you have spent considerably greater lengths of time occupied on one of your projects, Anthony.’ 

 

Tony let the nickname (guess you could call it such?) slide just as Loki had let his. ‘Yeah, but it’s different when you know you have the _possibility_ of leaving, you know?’ Loki nodded. Oh, he knew. ‘Right now, I don’t have a choice. I can’t walk, I can only hobble around a little if I really need to; I can’t even drive for fuck’s sake! Doesn’t help that my body is aching all over, I can feel my bones throb as they slowly heal themself. And then there’s this weird kind of nagging feeling always at the back of my head somewhere that’s telling me to, I don’t know, prepare for something, to hurry. What am I hurrying for, Loki? I can’t sleep proper, I can’t rest, the only way to keep my head on straight is keeping busy. Not to mention this bastard is itching like a motherfucker!’ Tony took the hammer and bashed it into the cast on his right leg, still resting on the tower of boxes. 

 

Even though the impact wasn’t hard, Loki still tensed up and flung the hammer from his hand before the plaster hit loose fell to the ground. ‘Stupid mortal! You think I healed your injuries just so you could harm yourself all over again?’ Still, seeing the inventor’s startled expression from across the open space made Loki pull back his tone of voice. Truth be told, he understood exactly how the man felt. ‘And right now? What is that feeling telling you?’

 

Tony took the outing he was offered. ‘I a… um,’ the man frowned up to the ceiling, tilting his head a little as he often did when he was thinking, ‘I don’t know. I can’t feel it right now. Guess that hammer is good for  _ something _ , at least.’

 

Loki kept his face carefully neutral. He was learning that completely blank was already something that his Anthony could see behind. 

 

Tony slowly slipped his leg down from it’s perch and tried to get up to retrieve his trusty tool from the other side of the lab, where it had collided with the wall. ‘Sit down.’ He did.

 

Loki picked up Tony’s hammer and placed it on the worktable. Then he grabbed the heel of the man’s cast and lifted it quickly but gently back on the crates. ‘Let me see that leg, then.’

 

The mage kneeled down and produced one of his throwing knives with a flick of his wrist, sliding it down the defenseless calf. He was pleased to see that Tony didn’t even flinch. When the cast was removed Loki let the engineer run his blunt nails over the irritated skin for a moment as Tony groaned in pleasure, then flicked his fingers away and sushed him. The god needed his concentration. 

 

Tony sat and observed, enthralled by the spectacular show of Loki’s magic right under his nose. One second everything was normal and the next there was a golden light emitting from Loki’s hands that soaked right into Tony’s leg, right down to the bone that started to hum and vibrate; the deep ache seemed to sharpen and then it was fading away. His skin looked as if it was glowing, and so was Loki. Tony caught himself staring at the god’s sharp features and thinking that even if he was imagining it, it still looked beautiful.  _ He _ looked beautiful. Then their eyes met.

 

Loki let the moment linger for a second, feeling Tony’s heartbeat elevate through his magic. It was captivating. 

 

‘Raise up your shirt.’ The man did as he was told and Loki once again carefully cradled the man’s chest with his arms, breaking their gaze in the process. That would have been too much. 

 

‘Anything else?’

 

Tony took a second to think things over. ‘Well, my wrist _has_ been acting out now and again,’ he said with that innocent-looking smile, the one that actually said _we both know I’m pushing your buttons but you’re still going to indulge me, aren’t you?_

 

Loki rolled his eyes but held his hand out just the same. ‘Fine. Let me see it, then.’

 

There had been more skin-on-skin contact in the last five minutes then there had been in the whole remainder of their friendship. As Tony was staring down at his hand, cradled between both of Loki’s, an absent thought crossed his mind whether the god would heal him some more if he managed to cut himself on something. Loki met his gaze with a small twist of his lips as if he could hear perfectly well what the inventor was thinking.

 

‘I think you’ve exploited my altruism enough for today, Anthony.’ He got up from his kneeling position and dusted off his pants. ‘Go on, try it out then.’

 

Tony stood slowly up and leaned experimentally on his injured leg. When it didn’t give, he tried a few steps. ‘Huh. This is amazing.’ The man’s grin widened as his cautious walk escalated to a light jog complete with one or two jumps in between. Loki watched him with a hidden delight; Tony reminded him a young calf that’s just recently got a hang of his new limbs.

 

‘That’s it, now I just  _ have to _ get out of this tower. Come on, I’m taking you out for a coffee!’

 

That was unexpected. The god had grown used to the fact that he and Tony managed to get along when alone in the man’s quarters, but going out to the public together was a possibility he hadn’t taken into consideration before.

 

‘Are you sure that’s wise, Anthony?’

 

‘Relax, I’m a master of disguise! Oh, but I think I could use a quick shower and a change, first. I’ll meet you upstairs.’

 

As Loki teleported to the inventor’s penthouse, he mirthfully wondered how far Tony would get on the stairs before he grew tired and opted for the elevator instead.

 

Some minutes later, the man in question emerged from behind an inconspicuously hidden door that presumably led into the stairwell, panting and even more sweaty than he had been before. To give him credit, Loki was rather impressed.

 

‘Okay, let’s both agree that I’m not gonna… do that again. Let me just- catch my-- whew- breath. Oh, before I forget. I have something for you.’

 

Tony stepped closer into the room and taking a last deep breath, picked up a small box from the table. Of course Loki had noticed it before, but he didn’t fathom it’d be for  _ him _ . The god took it from Tony’s outstretched hand more out of a habit than anything else. 

 

‘What is it?’ A stupid question, true, but justified. 

 

‘Well go ahead, open it. It’s a little thank you. You know, for saving my life and everything.’

 

Loki could see the insecurity in Tony’s eyes; that’s how he knew the inventor really meant it. And that’s how he knew that whatever was in that box, he would love it anyway. 

 

Loki opened the present, finding an expensive looking watch inside, gleaming on a dark blue velvet pillow. He took it out to admire, discarding the box gently back on the table. On the back was a simple engraving  _ To Loki _ , underneath in small letters read  _ A.E.S _ . The god knew enough about Tony to know what it stood for. Suddenly he had to swallow against a cramp forming at the back of his throat. 

 

‘You like it?’

 

Loki looked straight into Tony’s eyes. ‘Yes.’

 

It was heartwarming to see his Anthony’s face light up as he smiled, stepping closer to the god. ‘Here, let me help you.’ He took the watch as Loki turned up his palm and held out his hand. And even though Tony’s hands were sweaty and a little clumsy from a slight tremor he secured the strap amiably. 

 

‘I actually tweaked it a little as well.’ Tony made a small gesture above the watchplate and holographic screen suddenly sprang to life. ‘It’s not exactly Jarvis in here, but you can do everything you can on one of my tablets plus a little extra.’ He shifted closer to Loki’s side and started browsing through different applications. ‘You can watch your favorite shows and movies, download a bunch of different books, read the news - see, I even added a special ‘Avengers section’ so you have a shortcut to all of the live scoop on IronMan (in hindsight not sure how good of an idea that was, ha-ha), GPS, weather, music, you name it. I even downloaded the data of our joint projects onto this baby. I mean, it doesn’t have unlimited memory but enough to last you  _ at least _ a few years. Besides, you got your own maintenance mechanic right here if you need any adjustments made. Oh, and my personal favorite,’ he opened up a chat window and beamed up at Loki, ‘this messenger. It has the capacity to convert either spoken text or you can do it the old fashioned way by just typing. Of course you can add your own contacts, but everything you send to me will be delivered through Jarvis so I’ll be guaranteed to receive it.’ Tony was still beaming. It wasn’t that hard to see that he was proud of his invention. And rightfully so.

 

‘I’m not sure what to say, Anthony. Thank you.’

 

Tony smiled, looking up at the god from where he was plastered against his side. It took him a moment to process how close they actually were; the inventor coughed and took a step back. ‘Hey, I’m gonna go and grab a shower real quick, you’ll be entertained, right?’

 

Loki let the moment pass. He flopped himself down on the nearest sofa and waved Tony off, picking at his new watch. ‘Go, go.’ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, maybe; but I think I'll update the next one pretty soon (i.e hopefully faster than my usual random number of months).  
> In the mean time, let me know what you think'll happen!


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